"A NorthAmerican Sportpony is a pony in the general range of 13.2-14.2 h that looks and moves like a small horse, capable of competing in the Olympic disciplines of Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing, as well as in Driving. It is not your traditional Thellwell type of pony, but rather is much more athletic and horse-like in appearance and ability.

The term "NorthAmerican Sportpony" is considered a type, not a particular breed of pony (with the exception of ponies of Draft blood being excluded) and therefore we find sportponies made up of everything from Welsh to New Forest to Thoroughbred bloodlines.Movement is paramount to the quality NorthAmerican Sportpony, and that movement should have great suspension, articulation, impulsion and elasticity. The type does not strive for the traditional "daisy-cutter", flat-kneed movement that is so popular in the hunter ring today, but it is not excluded as a factor within the NorthAmerican Sportpony Registry. Therefore, the "hunter type" of pony, especially one which excels in jumping and has the conformation and "look" the type strives for, can be considered a NorthAmerican Sportpony.All ponies accepted into the Registry must undergo an inspection and be DNA-typed. It is in this way that pedigrees can be documented from this point forward, even with breeding stock that is currently of unknown parentage. Stallions accepted into the Registry undergo additional performance and progeny requirements (detailed on our Inspection and Grading page).Height:138 - 148 cm (13.2 - 14.2) NorthAmerican Sport Ponies being inspected as breeding stock may fall outside this ideal range.Colors: AllConformation:Head: Small and regal with defined jaws (no puffiness), a clean throatlatch, kind eyes, nostrils that are large and wide and small ears.Neck:Long, wide and well set on, narrowing towards the poll.Body: Refinement obvious more so than in any other pony breed with emphasis toward an athletic riding type. Exhibits a longer neck, higher and more pronounced withers, a longer croup that is slightly sloping with a tail set at medium height and slender through the girth.Limbs: Dry limbs with flat knees, correct alignment, dense and medium sized hooves.Movement: Regular and correct cadence with a large stride. Even, energetic and elastic rhythm. No exaggerated knee action. Exhibits significant impulsion from the hindquarters.Special Hallmarks:An easy keeper, good natured ready and willing to go, courageous and intelligent."

I am not so sure she would be accepted...she doesn't really exhibit 'horse-like' traits at all...she definitely displays ponyish traits in her body type and style of motion. Her height also disqualifies her if they are nit-picky on that...

As much as can be judged from still photos, your pony is a nice sporthorse mover: decent length of stride, some overtrack, definitely moving from behind.

The area is which she is most questionable regarding the standard is this: "Neck: Long, wide and well set on, narrowing towards the poll."

Her neck is narrower than the ideal, and set higher than is considered desirable.

I don't know if that will exclude her from the registry, but you asked for a critique of her by the registry standard,

Also, I wouldn't mention the Icelandic blood or the tendency towards gaitedness or prancing - that seems contrary to what this registry is looking for.

One other point - I'm assuming you have a big emotional attachement to this mare and are determined to have a foal out of her? I read your thread re: the stallions you were considering (I prefered the second one, btw). I do have to say that your mare, while nice, is simply not the same quality as the stallions you're looking at. If your goal is the best quality foal you can produce, you'd be better off leasing a broodmare or buying a foal in utero. It would also be a lot cheaper.

However, I suspect strongly that the point of this endeavor is for you preserving some of your beloved mare's characteristics, and that you're breeding because you adore the mare, not because you're trying to produce a certain quality of offspring. If that's the case, good luck and have fun raising your baby.

As much as can be judged from still photos, your pony is a nice sporthorse mover: decent length of stride, some overtrack, definitely moving from behind.

The area is which she is most questionable regarding the standard is this: "Neck: Long, wide and well set on, narrowing towards the poll."

Her neck is narrower than the ideal, and set higher than is considered desirable.

I don't know if that will exclude her from the registry, but you asked for a critique of her by the registry standard,

Also, I wouldn't mention the Icelandic blood or the tendency towards gaitedness or prancing - that seems contrary to what this registry is looking for.

One other point - I'm assuming you have a big emotional attachement to this mare and are determined to have a foal out of her? I read your thread re: the stallions you were considering (I prefered the second one, btw). I do have to say that your mare, while nice, is simply not the same quality as the stallions you're looking at. If your goal is the best quality foal you can produce, you'd be better off leasing a broodmare or buying a foal in utero. It would also be a lot cheaper.

However, I suspect strongly that the point of this endeavor is for you preserving some of your beloved mare's characteristics, and that you're breeding because you adore the mare, not because you're trying to produce a certain quality of offspring. If that's the case, good luck and have fun raising your baby.

In no way am I "emotionally attached". I can't find a desirable broodmare to lease (or I haven't yet, I should say). How would it be cheaper? I would have to pay lease on the mare + stud fee + pregnant mare care + foaling costs, when I could pay for all of that with my mare minus the lease? I have been looking into a mare that I can "rent out her uterus", but as I stated above.. I've yet to find one. If I find a mare (preferably a reg. Welsh mare) that I can afford (wether it's a lease or to buy) I will happily set up a breeding with her instead of Savannah.

She is cute, but she would have to go through an inspection to be judged as to her qualities. They judge overall conformation and then they trot out. If she gaits, that would end her chances. They want a long, lofty TROT.

If she could trot, you would need to know how to handle her properly. How to pose and present, how to trot her out etc. You would never pose her the way one of the photos shows her. Never with her head straight up. You need to train her to reach with her head, arching her neck to show it off.

Maura: (this is going to sound so immature...) I want the foaling experience. If you read my other threads (the critique and a few others I have recently posted) then you would understand why I am trying to educate myself, and trying to "help" my mare.

At the risk of being flamed...If it's "just" for the foaling experience, then I think you are breeding for the wrong reason...jmho. I know you've talked alot about her behavior and how difficult she's been to work with in the past, and along with her less than desirable conformation, and build, those are all traits that can be passed on to her foal...you are wanting an athletic foal, who can jump and do things mom can't do, but you've got to look at mom; if she can't do some of those things, do you honestly thing a foal out of her will be able to do them any better than her, no matter how nice the stallion you breed her too is? A stallion will only be able to improve so much on your baby...he's only half the picture, here...your mare is the other half.

Now if she had really desirable conformation; nice hip, good shoulder, good legs, etc, along with really nice temperment, THEN I would think about breeding her, regardless of her grade status, because then you would likely get a foal that has those desirable traits as well. However, because she doesn't have those, you are taking the chance of having a foal that has crappy conformation, and a hard to work with attitude...regardless of how lovely the stallion's confo and attitude is.

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